For a lot of people - especially new bassists - four strings is enough. For honing your chops, and getting used to the larger size of the bass guitar, the standard four-stringed approach is what we'd suggest you go for. Four-string basses are happily capable of any style of music, from jazz to thrash metal - but if you'd like to branch out into the world of extended range, then five and six-string basses are definitely worth your time.
A five-string bass will afford you an extra low string. In standard tuning, this is a low B, and will allow you to explore a deeper, darker tonality. The five-string bass is still fairly mainstream and found in many styles of music, as it's capable of everything a four string can do, and then some. The downsides of the five-string are that the fretboard must be wider to accommodate the extra string, and that a 5-string set of bass strings can be pretty expensive - so if you find skinny necks super comfortable, or have smaller hands, then we'd recommend sticking with a four-stringed companion.
If five strings aren't enough, then six-string basses, in standard tuning, will provide one extra low string and one high string, in the form of a low B and high C. Compared to a four or five string bass, the available selection of six-strings is much less - and is generally focused in the high-end category.
The necks are wide, and can be a little unwieldy for some, but the tonal range is hard to beat. When it comes to which wood your new bass is made of, there are so many different options available to you. Obviously, these standard wood types are popular for a reason, but the more exotic choices such as ovangkol, bubinga, and panga panga each offer their own frequency response and tonal characters.
So which of these basses should you buy? Well, the only person able to answer that question is you. When you pick up a bass for the first time, it will speak to you.
Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars since , playing them since , and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. Guitar World. Included in this guide: 1. Squier Classic Vibe '60s Jazz Bass. Body: Poplar. Neck: Maple, bolt-on. Fingerboard: Indian Laurel. Frets: 21, narrow tall. Pickups: 2x Fender Designed Alnico single-coil pickups bridge, middle. Controls: 2x volume, master tone. Hardware: 4-saddle Vintage-style with Threaded steel saddles.
Left-handed: No. Reasons to avoid - A couple of niggles with the finish. Yamaha BB Bass Guitar. Body: Alder. Fingerboard: Rosewood or Maple.
Frets: 21, medium. Hardware: Vintage Plus Light steel-saddled bridge. Reasons to avoid - You prefer an active bass. Epiphone Thunderbird Vintage Pro. Body: Mahogany wings. Fingerboard: Rosewood. Frets: 20, medium small. Left-handed: Mo. Reasons to avoid - It can be a little unwieldy - Not the most versatile bass in the Thunderdome.
Body: Swamp ash. Fingerboard: Maple or rosewood. Frets: 21, medium jumbo. Left-handed: Yes. Reasons to avoid - Switching takes some getting used to. Schecter Stiletto Studio 6. Body: Mahogany with bubinga top. Neck: Multi-laminate maple and walnut, neck-thru build. Frets: 24, extra jumbo.
Pickups: 2x EMG 45 Hz humbuckers. Controls: Active 3-band EQ, blend, master volume. There are really only TWO in particular to definitely consider…. The 3 notable differences between the P-Bass and Jazz Bass are:. For the body design , the original P-Bass was modeled after the shape of the Fender Stratocaster, while the Jazz Bass was modeled after the Fender Jazzmaster.
While the visual differences between the two may be subtle, the Jazz Bass actually has a center of gravity closer to the neck, which some may argue…offers better balance for the player.
For the neck contour , the Precision Bass has a more consistent width and less taper towards the headstock. The Jazz Bass on the other hand, has a noticeably steeper taper, which brings the strings closer together towards the nut, and potentially offers a more comfortable grip. For the pickup design , which is arguably the most significant difference between the two in terms of sound….
The P Bass features split 4-pole single-coil pickups, while the Jazz Bass features dual 8-pole humbuckers. Assuming you narrow down your options to one industry standards we just covered…. Luckily though, with almost any name-brand bass guitar in this day and age….
Here are the links to the more high-end Fender versions:. Here is a complete list the most popular and well-reviewed bass guitars on the market today, made by brands other than Fender:.
For some reason, once bass players get bored with their first instrument…. When building a custom body and neck…. The first step is choosing an appropriate wood. Bolt-on necks are most common because they are the easiest to assemble, and easiest to adjust.
Set Necks , which are are a bit tougher to properly attach…. Typically offer better sustain than bolt-ons, as they have a larger overlap between the body and neck. Thru-body necks , which are the most difficult to execute, and most expensive, but offer the greatest stability and sustain…. Bass pickups work using a series of magnets under the strings…. Body: Agathis. Scale: Fingerboard: Jatoba. Hardware: Ibanez B bridge, chrome. Reasons to avoid - Some players prefer a longer scale.
Body: Poplar with quilt maple veneer. Fingerboard: Laurel. Frets: 24, jumbo. Pickups: 2x Jackson medium-output mini-humbuckers bridge and middle.
Hardware: HiMass bridge, die-cast tuners, Chrome. Left-handed: No. Reasons to avoid - Not much. Fingerboard: Indian laurel. Frets: 20, narrow tall. Hardware: 4-Saddle Vintage Style with threaded steel saddles, vintage-style open-gear tuners, chrome.
Reasons to avoid - A couple of niggles with the finish - No left-handed options. Body: Basswood. Fingerboard: Maple. Pickups: 1x H - 1 Ceramic Humbucker bridge.
Hardware: 4-saddle adjustable bridge, open-back tuners, Chrome. Reasons to avoid - Long-scale format might be cumbersome for younger players. Body: Mahogany with mango veneer. Fingerboard: Sonokeling. Pickups: Yamaha single-coil bridge , Yamaha split-coil middle. Hardware: Vintage-style bridge, chrome. Reasons to avoid - No good reasons, but a few dollars more could get you active electronics.
Body: Poplar. Frets: 22, medium. Controls: master volume, balance, 2-band Active EQ. Hardware: Ibanez B bridge, Ibanez covered tuners, chrome. Reasons to avoid - No passive mode. Squier Mini Precision Bass. Neck: Maple. Fingerboard: Indian Laurel. Pickups: Split single-coil Precision. Controls: Volume, tone. Hardware: Squier tuners and bridge. Finish: Black, Dakota Red. Epiphone EB Siri, find me an old-school thunder merchant for under bucks.
Body: Mahogany. Neck: Mahogany, bolt-on. Pickups: 1x Sidewinder humbucker neck.
0コメント